Rabbitohs sign Luke Burgess until 2013

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the immediate signing of Englishman Luke Burgess until the end of the 2013 season.

Burgess, 24, is the older brother of Rabbitohs players Sam and George Burgess, and will join his siblings at the Club as early as next week.

Standing 188cm tall and weighing in at 111kg, the eldest of the four Burgess brothers will add to the Club’s front row depth both this year and for the next two seasons.

Burgess has achieved wonderful success at the Leeds Rhinos and Harlequins having played 96 first team matches since making his debut in 2007 against Catalans, including a premiership victory in 2009 with the Rhinos. Burgess is no stranger to the Rabbitohs having played against South Sydney in the Australia Day Challenge match played in Jacksonville, USA in 2008.

Rabbitohs CEO Shane Richardson is pleased to have secured the signature of another Burgess for South Sydney.

“Luke will be a welcome addition to our front row stocks, not only now but also for the following two seasons,” Mr Richardson said.

“We’ve been tracking Luke’s progress with Leeds and we feel that he is ready to move to Australia and to prove himself in the NRL.

“He told us he wants to come out and live with his brothers and challenge himself in the NRL and what better Club to take on that challenge with than South Sydney.

“Obviously Sam has become one of the Club’s leading lights and George is progressing well through our feeder Club at North Sydney, and we’re looking forward to adding Luke to our roster and having him push for a first grade berth as well.”